Ed.

When the freewheel doesn't come right off. And doesn't come of, period. All I've managed to do was bend the QR skewer (fixed it.). I'm thinking pneumatic impact wrench next...

Chombi

They can get pretty tight on the hub, I've taken of a few that felt like I was applying so much lead on the rear wheel that they might have snapped a few spokes. Had to use a dead blow mallet on the wrench I had on the FW remover to get them off.....

RoadTire 

You need a pneumatic impact wrench with lots of torque. Had to do that once. Much easier and less potential damage to the FW tool from slipping. 'Sides, it's just cool to have all that hammering until it comes loose...

Henry III

I've had good luck with holding the fw tool with the skewer and putting the tool in a vice and spinning the wheel. Less likely to damage the tool or freewheel just by holding the wheel and using a big wrench and the tool to break it loose.

Ed.

I've done everything but blast (and that's another story for another time.) The only thing holding me back from the impact wrench is the lack of a hex-head removal tool. I'll give Don a crack at it tomorrow, and I've liberally anointed it with Kroil. If it don't come under his tender mercies I'll be getting the Park tool and seeing John at Main St Service.

Lascauxcaveman 

I'm with @Henry III. I don't think I'd ever get a freewheel off with a wrench; gotta be a vise. Unless it's a well cared for bike that had been properly greased before the FW was spun on. Not sure if I've met one of those yet

gugie 

+2

Always use a vice. If you don't have one, your local LBS will remove it for you.

Then you'll remember to liberally grease the freewheel before putting it back on, right?

Hey, I'm editing this because I discovered this is my 50th post! Feel free to PM!

Unless I owe you something or you have a warrant on me...

OldsCOOL

What were once vices are now habits.

Clamp that sucker in and pretend you are driving a '58 Mack.

jimmuller 

Leave the tire on the rim.
Put the FW tool on, held in place by the QR skewer.
Place a 12" adjustable wrench on the tool.
Hold wheel vertical and whack the wrench with a rubber-coated dead-weight mallet.
Remove skewer.
Remove FW.

iab

An air compressor and cutoff wheel will take care of that freewheel tout suite.

okane

Crank the compressor up to 125 psi, attach free wheel tool to impact, one blip of the trigger and the fw comes right off. Hasn't failed me yet or damaged any parts. Just keep your fingers away from the spinning freewheel until it stops!

qcpmsame 

Anti-sieze compound applied prior to assembly.

Bill

rhm

If the freewheel puller fits a 1" box end wrench (as all the Park pullers do, IIRC) I find that's as good as a vise. Not long ago I was able to pull a TDC freewheel off a hub that had been cut out of the wheel; I used a variety of used brake cables to lace the drive side flange of the hub to a small rim (16" or 20", don't remember) and applied the box end wrench. Must admit I was a bit surprised that I got it off without damage to the bike parts or my knuckles, but I did!

Phil_gretz

Skewer to hold tool in place. Tool in huge honkin' bench vise. Tire in place.

Drivin' the bus. Big left turn and Bingo!

seypat

Remove your skewer and axle. Find a flat piece of metal/iron like the picture attached. Grind it down until you have a snug fit into your freewheel removal openings. Put it in a vise and mount the wheel. Give it a turn and success!

Narhay

If you don't have a vice clamp a wrench into your bike stand and use that.

Cougrrcj

I had one where even that didn't work. Two year old '74 Fuji Special Tourer. The bike shop tried just about everything, then did the above method. We were putting so much torque to that wheel with two of us 'turning the wheel' that spokes were starting to snap. That meant I was in for a new replacement wheel, and new freewheel. Two weeks later I bought my S-10S. And after that episode, you can believe that I ALWAYS use Anti-seize on the threads!!!

Prowler 

@ed I do like the vice and driving the bus technique but even that was failing this past winter during my 68 Raleigh GP overhaul. That FW would not budge, spokes were screaming and the two prong tool was damaging the notches in the Atom 5 sp. I finally disassembled the FW in place and removed the pawls which left those two flat spots on the FW body exposed. Much more torque can be applied than on the notches on top of the FW body. I figured that even if those flat spots got damaged a bit, as they serve no function other than to hold the pawls I could just clean up the damage with a file and go back to work.

Even with those flat spots to clamp on to and with nice sharp jaws on the Wilton vice the FW would not move. But I was patient (dead of winter) and just set to pee'n penetrant (Liquid Wrench) down between the FW and the spoke protector pie plate. Then set by the wood stove for a week. Again. And again. Finally on about the 4th go I warmed the FW body up with the hot air blower (g.......n) and clamped it in the vice. Turn left and it came loose. Time, heat, oil and torque.

That wheel is all back together now and runs fine, FW and all.

The Golden Boy 

I bought an $11 bench vise at an estate sale on the last day for 50% off... $5.50 for a nice cast vise.

I hemmed and hawed about where to install it, I think I put it a bit too close to the grinder- not that I use either much.

Ed.

It's off. For the record, I put it on, and it was greased. Don @ LBS got it off. His comment, "That was REALLY on there." He had the very right tool, as opposed to my almost right tool.

rgver

@Ed. I see you're in Hopkinton, do you use Milford Bicycle?

ramzilla

B F V ........... I think you know what I mean

Ed.

Don at Bike Barn in Westborough.

Ed.

No.

CliffordK

If you have the old Regina 2-prong freewheels, always tighten down the tool with the skewer or axle nut before removing the freewheel (I've gotten into the habit of doing that with most of the tools).

I usually have good luck just using a very big Crescent Wrench to get them off, although I think I did the vice trick once. Anyway, never has been a big problem. No atomic bombs needed.

Make sure you are turning in the direction the freewheel turns freely (counter clockwise).